before it was illegal

So let's say you owned a gopher tortoise while it was legal. What would happen when it became illegal to own one?

NOTE: I do not own a gopher just curious.

it all depends, if you're talking about taking it from the world it never was really "legal" to take from the wild.

Disclaimer: I know nothing about US law so what I say may be incorrect.

Usually when this type of law comes in, it makes it illegal to take specimens from the wild from a certain date going forward.

It also makes it illegal to trade the species without a permit.

People who own one captured before the law change can't trade the tortoise they have or trade any babies parented by these animals, but they're not breaking the law by continuing to own it.

We are in this position in the UK with Joe, a Greek, who was wild caught 1969/70 and has no papers. We cannot sell him or sell any babies he might father (not that he'll get the chance now)

Exceptionally the new law may also require owners of captive animals to get them registered at the time of the law change. This is expensive in terms of bureaucracy and thus doesn't happen so often!

It's called "Grandfathered." If you had native U.S. tortoises before it was illegal to have them, you've been grandfathered in. It would help if you had old pictures or some sort of documentation showing that you had them prior to the law going into effect.

Legal or not if you had before the administrative law I would not advertise ownership. These folks are psycho. What happened is that Congress created "bureau" to enact "administrative law". These people create law as their job and their performance is based on how well they administer punishment, restriction, and land grabs. And they are psycho too. I have heard they are currently shooting the barn owls because they prey on the protected spotted owl on the west coast. They are also shooting sea birds that prey on protected salmon. Right or wrong, if they show up at your door you could end up with hefty legal costs trying to defend yourself.

They are also gong way overboard and over reaching now. Here in Nevada they are trying to enact restrictions on public and private lands restricting agriculture not because anything is endangered, but because it "might" become endangered.

I don't think we have to worry about those gestapo tactics. It's so very easy to get the permit to keep the tortoises. I adopt them out all the time and give the new keepers the application form. The only requirement on the form is to say where you got the tortoise from, and they fill in "tortoise rescue" and that's that.